As one method for synthesizing liquid fuels from a natural gas, a GTL (Gas To Liquids: liquid fuel synthesis) technique of reforming a natural gas to produce a synthesis gas containing a carbon monoxide gas (CO) and a hydrogen gas (H2) as the main components, synthesizing hydrocarbons using a catalyst with this synthesis gas as a source gas by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction (hereinafter referred to as “FT synthesis reaction”), and further hydrogenating and refining the hydrocarbons to produce liquid fuel products, such as naphtha (raw gasoline), kerosene, gas oil, and wax, has recently been developed.
Various apparatuses have been studied in order to separate and recover catalyst particles from the liquid hydrocarbons including the catalyst particles which have deteriorated due to the reaction heat generated by the FT synthesis reaction, the friction with the inner wall of a flow line, the other external factors, etc.
As one of the apparatuses, for example, a recovery system shown in Patent Document 1 can be utilized. This apparatus first heats the hydrocarbons including the catalyst particles inside a rotary kiln set in a heat chamber, and separates them into gasified hydrocarbons discharged in the axial direction from the middle part of the rotary kiln and catalyst particles discharged from an outer peripheral portion of the rotary kiln. Then, the gasified hydrocarbons are cooled down, condensed, and recovered by a cooling tower.
Further, as another apparatus, an apparatus is known which pressurizes the liquid hydrocarbons including the catalyst particles, filters the liquid hydrocarbons by a single filter, and catches the catalyst particles larger than the diameter of pores formed in the filter, thereby separating the catalyst particles from the liquid hydrocarbons.